Over the past decade, global economic prospects have been penalized by the fall of world trade, investment and migration, coupled with the unwarranted suffering of over 100 million globally displaced. It’s a prologue to an untenable future.
When the inaugural BRIC summit took place in 2009, it was a moment of relative triumph for its members. While the West dealt with the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, BRIC countries — Brazil, Russia, India and China — enjoyed temporary shelter from the turmoil. When South Africa joined the bloc in 2010, the BRICS agenda expanded beyond economic cooperation and now includes a wide array of global governance issues, including security.
What is at stake in the Security Council?
The UN Security Council is set to vote soon on the renewal of a mandate that allows UN agencies to deliver aid to rebel-held Idlib in north-western Syria via a border crossing with Türkiye without asking for approval from the government in Damascus. The UN calculates that nearly two and a half million people rely on this lifeline for food and other essential supplies. Yet the arrangement is contentious. Since 2019, Russia, the Syrian regime’s ally, has aimed to curtail the mandate, arguing that the UN should work with Damascus on aid deliveries out of respect for Syria’s sovereignty.
The pieces are aligning ahead of Biden’s trip to the Middle East next week — almost too neatly. But will it create or shatter stability?
Next week President Biden is headed to Saudi Arabia — which he once promised to treat like a “pariah” — reportedly intent on discussing broad security guarantees with the Kingdom, including an air defense umbrella. Unfortunately, the administration’s proposal will deepen U.S. entanglement in the Middle East and further strain Iran nuclear negotiations.
There is no legitimate case for Washington making new security commitments and assuming additional costs on behalf of Saudi Arabia and Israel.
There is increasing talk about the United States getting more deeply committed to anti-Iran security arrangements on the side of Arab states of the Persian Gulf, especially Saudi Arabia, and Israel.
We know that counterterrorism programs are not helping, but some of the non-military plans long abandoned by the US could work.
Mass atrocities now occur regularly in the Sahel. The names of towns, villages, and districts in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger become infamous one after the next: Moura, Seytenga, and Bankass. The perpetrators are often jihadists — namely, an al-Qaida affiliate called the Group for Supporting Islam and Muslims (known by its Arabic acronym JNIM) and its rival, the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, or ISGS.
While Europe becomes increasingly dependent on the US in its own backyard, the alliance puts Beijing on notice.
Russia and Ukraine are at war, Europe’s failure to take its defense seriously is evident to all, and the allies finally feel pressure to spend and do more militarily. Why, then, did they treat China as an adversary and invite several Asia-Pacific governments to last week’s NATO summit?
International condemnation is growing against Morocco and Spain as more details emerge about the violent deaths of at least 37 migrants during an attempt last week to cross Morocco’s border with the Spanish enclave of Melilla. According to media reports, more than 2,000 people attempted to enter the enclave from the Moroccan city of Nador.
The Syrian government forces are waging a revenge war against the Islamic State in the Syrian desert amid escalating attacks.
The Syrian desert known as the Badia region has been recently witnessing violent battles between the Syrian government forces and Islamic State (IS) militants, while Russian warplanes are raiding the group’s hideouts and military vehicles in the main clash area of Jebel Bishri, which extends over large areas south of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces in the east of the country.
A terrorist alleged to be one of the ISIS Beatles execution squad is facing deportation from Turkey to Britain now that he has served his jail term.
UK officials are being questioned as to why Aine Davis, from west London, has not been stripped of his citizenship, a move which would have blocked his deportation.